


A Simple Life

by this_wayward_life



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Alcoholic Confessions, Angst, Big Brother Gabriel, Caring Sam Winchester, Castiel Has a Cat, Destiel - Freeform, Dogs, F/M, Fluff, Gabe needs a hug, Human AU, Kali Is A Bitch, Little Brother Castiel, M/M, Mentions of Rape, PTSD, Poor Gabriel, Psychologist Castiel, Psychologist sam, Sabriel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 09:37:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14767094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_wayward_life/pseuds/this_wayward_life
Summary: Sam Winchester never had many people in his life, and he was completely fine with that. He had a stable job, a best friend, and a dog. It was pretty much all he wanted, minus a significant other. He hadn't found them yet.But then Castiel's big brother Gabriel came into town, with all his emotional baggage and abusive home life, and Sam couldn't stay away. This beautifully broken man drew him in, and maybe Gabriel could help Sam just like Sam could help Gabriel.





	A Simple Life

Sam didn't have many people in his life. It was that simple.

His mother was in the Marines, and hardly ever visited. Dean was down in the U.S on a road trip that had so far lasted about five years, and he occasionally popped up to Canada for a couple of weeks to eat Sam's food and bring hookers back to his apartment. Sam had friends at work, like Kevin the receptionist and Cas, the other psychologist who worked at the same time as Sam did. There were his patients - Samandriel, a temperamental teenager, Jack, a sweet five-year-old with bipolar, and Nick, a poor boy with schizophrenia who thought Lucifer, the actual devil, was possessing him. Sam's housemate was a large dog - a Golden Retriever called Bones who ate his socks and drank from the toilet. That was pretty much what Sam's life entailed, and he loved it. 

But peace doesn't last, and Sam knew this, but he never thought his simple life would be shattered by just one man. One particular day when he and Cas were on break, a man strolled into the building, looking around as if trying to hide his fear.

"Cassie!" the man called, walking forward and hugging Cas tightly. Cas buried his face in the man's shoulder, and Sam noticed the small smile on his friend's face.

"Hello, Gabriel," Cas said, in his usual monotonous tone, except it sounded more happy than usual. The man - Gabriel - pulled away to grin at him, and Sam absentmindedly thought about how nice his smile was. It was at that moment that Gabriel turned his head and noticed Sam. 

"Castiel, _please_ don't tell me this is your boyfriend, because he is way too hot for you," Gabriel said, his eyes wide. Sam felt blood rush to his face, taken aback by the very sudden and blunt approach.

"This is Sam," Cas said, rolling his eyes. "He's my friend."

"Uh, nice to meet you," Sam said, standing up and holding out a hand.

"What did your parents feed you when you were a kid? Steroids?" Gabriel asked, literally having to crane his head up to look at Sam. "You're a damn moose!" 

Sam felt himself blush again and looked over at Cas for an explanation.

"Don't pay any attention to him, Sam," Cas said, rolling his eyes again. "Gabriel loves making people uncomfortable."

"Cassie, that's not nice," Gabriel whined. "Maybe I actually want to take hot stuff here out to dinner." He turned to wink at Sam, "You wanna get dinner sometime?"

Cas looked at Sam's (bright red) face as if to say, _see what I'm talking about?_ before turning back to Gabriel.

"Why are you here, Gabriel?" he asked. "I haven't seen you for over a year." 

"Can't I come to see my favourite little bro?" Gabriel asked, but sighed when Cas gave him a look. "Fine. Kali went on another one of her rages."

Cas's worn-out look immediately shifted to concerned, moving forward. "Did she..."

Gabriel looked between Cas and Sam, who was just watching the ordeal in silence, before he plastered a smile onto his face. "It doesn't matter. I thought I'd come and treat you to lunch. Hear about your life for once instead of the other way around."

Cas looked up at Sam, his jaw tight. Sam knew that look. That was the look of a man who knew that someone he loved was suffering badly, but couldn't do anything to help. 

"Sam, can you tell Kevin that I won't be in for the rest of the day?"

"Yeah, of course," Sam said, placing a hand on Cas's shoulder. "Call me if you need anything."

His eyes flitted over to Gabriel as his hand dropped to his side. The small man was trying to hide his emotions more than ever now, but Sam was a professional. Gabriel looked defeated. Sam couldn't leave him like that.

"And Gabriel?" Sam added, steeling his nerves as the other man looked at him. "If you wanna get dinner with me, Cas has my number."

Cas's mouth dropped open slightly, and Gabriel's astonished look slowly formed into a smile. 

 

 

Sam got a text late that night when he was in bed. He was sitting up typing out a report on one of his latest clients when his phone buzzed. Bones looked up from his spot next to Sam's leg at the buzzing sensation going through the bed and Sam rolled his eyes, leaning over to grab his phone.

[Unknown Number] _This had better be Sam, otherwise, Cassie's gonna wake up with a penis drawn on his forehead._

Sam snorted at the text, caught completely off guard. Gabriel sure was a character.

[Sam] _I'm guessing it's you, Gabriel?_

[Unknown Number] _Guilty._

Sam saved the number.

[Gabriel] _I don't even know why I texted you._

[Sam] _Because you thought I was hot, or because you needed someone to talk to?_

[Gabriel] _A bit of both, I guess._

[Gabriel] _Although mostly because you've got a good ass_

[Sam] _Nice to see what your priorities are_

[Gabriel] _I'm a simple guy._

Sam smiled slightly, feeling a bit like a lovestruck teenager. He was thirty, for crying out loud. He shouldn't have butterflies in his stomach, and he definitely shouldn't be grinning like an absolute fool.

[Sam] _Do you like pasta?_

[Gabriel] _Why do you want to know? ;)_

[Sam] _There's a nice Italian place a couple minutes from my place. Good service. Small and cozy._

[Gabriel] _Why Sammoose, are you asking me out?_

Sam laughed softly at the nickname, feeling heat creep up his cheeks.

[Sam] _Text me your address. I'll pick you up Friday at 6._

[Gabriel] _Can't wait ;)_

 

 

At five-thirty on Friday, Sam was kinda freaking out. It was a date. He hadn't been on a date for ages - not since Eileen. Eileen was still living in the state, they should meet up for coffee sometime - _not_ the time, Winchester. Sam looked at himself in the mirror for the hundredth time, running a hand through his hair. It was ridiculous how worked up about this he was - Gabriel was just Cas's brother. That's all. It's not like he already liked him _a lot,_ or felt his heart skip every time he felt his phone buzz, only to be disappointed that it wasn't him.

"Shit," Sam muttered, leaning his head against the mirror. Okay, so maybe he liked Gabriel's smile and his sense of humour. Maybe he already wanted to show him that he mattered, even though they'd talked twice and met in person once. Maybe Sam thought that Gabriel was beautiful. It didn't matter. He'd go out, and he'd have a good time.

Deciding that casual formal was the best option, Sam put on a clean pair of jeans, a white button-up, a nice jacket, and a pair of boots that he only really had for special occasions. Deciding that he was far too worried about this and that everything would go fine, Sam got into his car and drove off.

When he knocked on the door - apparently it was Cas's place, but he was out and Gabriel was hanging out there for his stay - it was almost immediately opened by a dishevelled-looking Gabriel, his shirt crumpled and his pants covered in fur. In his arms was a cat, who was twisting and mewing so much Sam was surprised that it could even contort like that.

"Hey Sammy," Gabriel said brightly, trying to wrestle with the cat. "Sorry about this."

"You need help with that?" Sam asked, motioning towards the animal and trying not to laugh. Gabriel gratefully handed the cat over, and Sam cradled the small animal in his arms. It stopped wriggling and snuggled into him, purring softly.

"She never does that with me," Gabriel said indignantly, glaring at the dog. "Angel, I thought we had a connection."

Angel looked up and purred happily. Sam laughed softly and scratched the cat behind her ears. 

"You ready to go?" he asked, and Gabriel nodded.

"I just have to give Angel dinner - she goes insane otherwise, and Cas isn't here to look after the devil," Gabriel said, gesturing for Sam to follow him as he walked back into the apartment. With only half a second of hesitation, Sam followed.

The apartment was cute. It was quite small, with a kitchen, a living room, and two doors that probably led to the bedrooms. A cat bed was situated in the corner of the room, with a bowl next to it. Gabriel took Angel from Sam's arms and placed her on the bed, and the cat glared at him as she sat next to her bowl. Gabriel rolled his eyes and poured a generous amount of food into the bowl, and Angel happily started eating. 

"Okay, let's go," he said, turning to Sam with a smile. "This Italian place had better be as good as you say it is."

 

 

"I told you," Sam said smugly as they got back into the car.

"Hey, I didn't know that she wasn't pregnant!" Gabriel protested, rubbing his red cheek.

"I _told_ you that she wasn't pregnant!" Sam said, laughing as he started up the car. Gabriel stuck his tongue out, crossing his arms.

"What happens now?" Gabriel asked suddenly. Sam felt himself blush but kept his eyes on the road. 

"You can come back to my place if you want," he said, trying to keep his voice even. Sam felt Gabriel's eyes on him, and couldn't help but look away from the road to meet his eyes. Gabriel was smiling.

"I'd like that."

 

 

When they got back, Sam almost immediately felt self-conscious. He'd left clothes lying everywhere, and Bones had probably started chewing on a pair of underwear. What if Gabriel didn't like Bones? 

When he opened the door, Bones immediately started barking, flying down the hall with his paws scrabbling frantically on the wood floor. Completely forgetting all his worries at the sight of the dog, Sam laughed and scratched Bones' head when he jumped on him.

"Who's this?" Gabriel asked, sounding excited. Sam looked over at him to see his eyes bright, looking down at Bones with joy. Bones looked up at him and immediately jumped at Gabriel as well, almost knocking him to the ground in a whirl of overly-happy Golden Retriever. 

"Yeah, he does that a lot," Sam said, trying to hold in his laughter. Gabriel looked up at him, his golden eyes alight with happiness. 

"You never told me you had a dog," he said, almost sounding accusing. 

"It didn't come up," Sam said, shrugging. Gabriel followed him into the apartment, still looking indignant.

"It shouldn't _have_ to come up," he said. "Basic rule of humans; if you have a dog, tell me you have a dog."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sam said, trying to hide his smile. Bones trotted around his feet, his tongue lolling out comically. "You wanna watch a movie?"

"As long as it's not a dog movie," Gabriel replied, flopping onto the couch dramatically. "They're too sad."

"Fair enough," Sam grinned, sitting down next to him. "You like Disney?"

"Of course I like Disney, I'm not a savage," Gabriel replied, rolling his eyes. "Do you have Mulan?"

"Of course, I'm not a savage," Sam said, mimicking Gabriel's earlier words. Gabriel looked surprised before he grinned widely as Sam pulled up Netflix.

 

 

Barely fifteen minutes into the movie and Sam had already lost concentration. Which was weird - Mulan was one of his favourites but turns out his brain would much rather focus on the man sitting next to him rather than the movie.

They'd been moving closer without realising it, and Sam had only noticed when he felt Gabriel's head rest on his shoulder. Throwing caution to the wind, Sam had wrapped an arm around Gabriel's shoulders, and the smaller man had melted in his arms like putty. They just stayed like that for the rest of the movie, and it was only when the end credits started to roll when Gabriel looked up and met Sam's eyes.

"You know, when you asked me out I just thought it'd be dinner, a quick fuck and then we'd never see each other again," he murmured. "Not that I'm complaining or anything - this is nice."

"Would you have preferred that?" Sam asked curiously. 

"Honestly? No."

"How often have you done this?"

"Never."

Sam raised an eyebrow at that, but Gabriel avoided his eyes. 

"I've only ever been in one relationship my whole life," Gabriel said softly. "And that's... not going well."

"Kali?" Sam asked, remembering the name from when they first met. Gabriel smiled, but it looked forced.

"I loved her, but... she isn't capable of love," he said quietly. "She gets angry, and she... hurts me."

"How?" Sam asked gently, trying to quell the rage that he was feeling towards this woman.

"It's usually not too bad," Gabriel muttered. "Just words, sometimes a few hits. The worst one..." He took one of Sam's hands and guided it up his shirt, and Sam could feel mottled scar tissue on Gabriel's chest.

"Did she stab you?" Sam asked, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"It was more of a slash, to be honest," Gabriel mumbled, avoiding Sam's eyes. "She wouldn't take me to the hospital. I almost bled out."

"Are you still with her?" Sam asked, barely attempting to disguise the rage in his voice.

"I have nowhere else to go," Gabriel said quietly. "I don't want to trouble Castiel - I know that he's got enough on his plate already without trying to care for his stupid older brother. Kali is the only home I know."

Sam felt overwhelming sadness for this man - this poor, traumatized and broken man, who looked as if Sam was about to hit him. He was the most beautiful man Sam had ever met, and he could hardly believe how awful a woman would have to be to cause any harm to him. As gently as he could, Sam reached out and cupped Gabriel's face with one hand. Gabriel looked up, tears in his eyes but with a defiant look on his face. _I'm fine. I can handle it._ Sam knew he couldn't.

"You don't have to stay with her, you know," Sam said, brushing his thumb across Gabriel's cheek. The other man smiled painfully, the suffering clear on his face.

"Yeah, I do."

 

 

When Sam got into work on Monday, the first thing he did when he saw Cas was to ask how Gabriel was. Cas looked at him with sympathy, his blue eyes dark with exhaustion and a day-old stubble lining his jaw.

"Gabriel left Saturday morning," Cas said bluntly. "He shouldn't have to think he has to go back to that awful woman."

"Is he okay?" Sam asked, a small wave of panic sliding over him.

"I don't know," Cas murmured, ducking his head. His hair was even messier than usual. "He got back late the night before, then packed and left first thing the next morning."

Sam bit the inside of his cheek, looking away. Why had Gabriel done that? He couldn't have wanted to go back to Kali. Was it something Sam did? If it was, he would have noticed the night before. Gabriel was upset, sure, but he seemed to enjoy Sam's company. Maybe he just wanted to get out of Cas's hair. 

"He left something for you," Cas said suddenly. Sam looked back at him in disbelief, eyeing the folded and crumpled piece of paper that Cas had just pulled out of his coat pocket. "He told me to give it to you, and for me not to look at it. Not that I would, and I'm quite offended that he thought I would do that," Cas added, wrinkling his nose in confusion as he handed the piece of paper over. 

"Thanks, Cas," Sam said, feeling a small smile curve the corners of his lips. 

"Don't thank me just yet, Winchester," Cas warned, his expression stern. "I have a meeting now. You'd better be gone by the time I come back."

Sam let out a small laugh, and Cas gave him another warning glance before walking off. When he turned into another corridor, Sam was sure that he was alone and opened the paper with fumbling fingers. The writing sprawled across was messy but cursive, the letters sloping upwards in elegant arcs.

_Sam  
Thank you so much for last night. It was... one of the best nights I've ever had. You're really sweet, and I really like you, but I can't stay. Kali is evil, and I know that, but I have nowhere else to go. I'm sorry.  
Love, Gabriel_

Sam frowned, running his hands over the paper to see if he'd missed anything. He turned it over, half-hoping there was something on the other side. Imagine his surprise when he saw more, in different handwriting.

_Okay, so I read it. Sue me. His address is 32 Pagan Avenue, floor 2, room 8, Madison, Wisconsin. Get your ass there.  
\- Castiel_

Snorting under his breath, Sam silently praised Cas's curiosity and stuffed the note into his pocket. Madison, Wisconsin huh? He had a lot of driving to do.

 

 

It took Sam two days to get to Madison. He only slept when he really needed to, and only for a couple of hours, and went over the speed limit the majority of the time. By the time he actually got to the city he was exhausted, but he couldn't wait. He had to get Gabriel.

As Sam stood in front of the address written on the paper, he felt a sense of dread encase him. It wasn't shabby, far from it - the apartment block was ridiculously over the top and looked like it housed a bunch of prudes. 

"Floor two, room eight," Sam muttered under his breath, swallowing his insecurities and stepping inside the building.

The apartment complex was even more luxurious on the inside and Sam pursed his lips as he walked towards the elevator, getting a glare from a middle-aged man in a fancy suit walking the other way. Giving the man a glare back, Sam walked into the elevator and, after a slight hesitation, pressed Level 2. As the elevator started to rise, Sam tried to calm his nerves, fidgeting with the hem of his flannel. Maybe he should've worn something less casual. It didn't matter - Sam was going to get Gabriel out of that toxic household and somewhere he belongs. The elevator gave a ding as it arrived on Sam's floor, and he took a deep breath, stepping out onto the landing. This part of the apartment complex was pretty much the exact same as the rest of it - fancy. Sam didn't like it.

Getting to room eight, Sam steadied his breathing, realising how sweaty his palms were and rubbing them on his jeans. He lifted a hand to ring the bell and heard it as the sound echoed through the apartment behind the door. He heard footsteps come towards the door, and a beautiful Indian woman wearing a red dress opened the door. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of Sam on her doorstep, her lip curling slightly in disgust.

"May I help you?" she asked cooly, somehow managing to make Sam feel absolutely worthless just from those words. Luckily, he was used to that sort of thing. Nobody really liked psychologists.

"You must be Kali," he said in a friendly tone, smiling at her. "I'm just here for your boyfriend."

"Gabriel?" Kali asked in astonishment. "Why would anyone want him?"

"Because we actually respect him and want what's best for him," Sam replied, still with the smile on his face. "I have to say, you really are a massive bitch."

Kali bristled, standing up straighter to glare at Sam. "Gabriel is a pathetic liar. You must be a complete idiot to believe him."

"I see exactly what he was talking about," Sam said, nodding thoughtfully. "Narcissistic, prude, probably a slut-"

Kali's hand flew through the air and hit Sam forcefully on the cheek, the cracking sound piercing the air. Sam raised an eyebrow, touching his cheek with his fingers. It stung, but definitely wasn't the worst he'd ever had.

"Kali? Everything alright?" a voice called from inside the apartment. A familiar voice.

"Yeah, Kali. _Is_ everything alright?" Sam mocked. Kali glared at him, before shouting back into the apartment.

"It's none of your concern, you stupid man," she snapped.

"No, I think it's definitely his concern," Sam said in a raised voice. "I mean, I didn't drive here for _you_."

"Sam?" Gabriel said in surprise, his head poking out from one of the rooms. He had a new bruise on his cheek, and there was a gash just above his eyebrow. Controlling the rage he felt at the injuries, Sam smiled at him.

"Hey, Gabe. Thanks for the letter you left me, and thank God for Cas being so damn nosy," he said cheerfully. "I'm here to lug your ass back to Vancouver."

"Why?" Gabriel asked quietly, his brow furrowed.

"Because we actually care about you," Sam said, shouldering past Kali and ignoring her indignant shout as he walked towards Gabriel. "We don't want to see you hurting. You actually mean something to us, unlike this awful bitch."

"I don't understand," Gabriel muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I get why Cassie would want me to leave here, but you?"

"It might come as a surprise, but I actually like you, Gabriel," Sam said, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. "You're a good person."

"Why?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you here," Sam said firmly, glancing back at Kali and her outraged face. "Come with me. Please."

Gabriel bit his lip, shuffling on his feet. His eyes were a mixture of emotions; disbelief, hope, fear, confusion. 

"If you leave, you're never coming back!" Kali said hysterically from behind Sam. "Don't you remember all I've done for you? I'm the reason you even have a home!"

"Is it a home, though?" Gabriel finally snapped. "You beat me, you abuse me, you even _rape_ me occasionally. Also, don't think I haven't seen the men that you bring back home, with _no_ regard to me. You treat me like an animal! This isn't a home. This is a prison."

Sam's eyes looked between Kali and Gabriel with nothing short of horror, the electric feeling in the room building up until the tension was so thick he was about to suffocate. Kali's eyes were like fire, her hands curled into fists. Sam could see blood trickling from her palms where she had obviously punctured the skin with her nails. Gabriel glared right back, eyes full of tears but holding them back. Judging from their reactions, Sam realised this was the first time something like this happened. Gabriel had never stood up for himself before.

"Sam, there's a duffel in my bedroom underneath the bed," Gabriel said evenly, not taking his eyes off Kali. "Get it."

Sam hesitantly slipped into the room Gabriel had come out of, keeping an eye on the two having a face-off in the living room. He felt around under the bed and sure enough, there was a duffel bag. When he got back into the living room, thankfully neither of them had moved, but the tension was even thicker.

"Don't come looking for me," Gabriel all but growled, finally breaking stance and going to stand beside Sam. "If you do, don't expect me to protect you."

Sam had to admit, even when she was being threatened Kali still stood tall, lifting her chin slightly in defiance. "If I see you dying on the street, don't expect me to help you again," she replied coldly. Gabriel grabbed Sam's hand and marched past her, eyes looking forward determinedly. Sam let himself get pulled along, glaring at Kali as he slammed the door behind them.

The walk down to the car was quiet. Gabriel had slowed down a bit, but the grip on Sam's hand was still tight. Sam had the duffel slung over his shoulder, the bag thumping against his back with each step. Gabriel refused to look anywhere but forward, his eyes watery but not letting any of the liquid escape. It was when they got into the car when Gabriel broke. He collapsed onto Sam's chest, sobbing and crying out and screaming. Sam held him tightly, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt Gabriel again. Never.

 

 

Gabriel moved in with Cas as soon as they got back to Vancouver. Cas had been crying when he opened the door, reaching forward and embracing his older brother as tight as he could. Gabriel had buried his face in Cas's shoulder, letting out quiet sobs. Sam had left to give them some privacy. Cas didn't show up to work again for about a week. Sam called Dean and asked him to come up and help them, and when he'd popped in to see Gabriel, he saw Dean and Cas on the couch, Cas curled up against Dean's chest. 

"I'm happy for him," Gabriel said quietly from his spot on the bed, petting Angel slowly. Sam looked over at him, taking in the other man's hunched figure. "Cassie never really showed any interest in any of the men or women that he's met, and I'm glad he's found someone to love."

"I'm just happy that Dean isn't going to disappear again," Sam said truthfully. "I've missed him."

Gabriel looked over at him, a tiny smile on his face. Sam's heart started beating erratically, and he couldn't stop his own smile appearing on his lips.

A couple of months after, Gabriel got his own place. It was small, with one bedroom and a tiny kitchen, but Gabriel loved it. When Sam went over to check up on him, he was immediately greeted by a Jack Russel puppy who skidded across the floor, barking loudly. 

"Max helps," Gabriel confessed when they got to talking, cradling the tiny dog in his arms. "He's sweet, and he reminds me I'm not alone."

"You're not alone," Sam said softly. He felt a swell of love in his chest when Gabriel leaned his head on Sam's shoulder. It was then that Sam realised something - he was in love. 

 

 

It took almost six months for Sam to do anything about it. Even then, he wasn't the one who initiated anything. Which, looking back, was stupid and oblivious, but maybe the two of them needed the slow burn.

It was a Friday night, not unlike the night that Sam took Gabriel out to dinner. Sam was curled up on the couch in sweatpants and a singlet, watching one of the Harry Potter movies with Bones laying spread-eagled at his feet. He wasn't paying much attention, but Sam thought that it was the fourth movie - the one where everyone's hair is super long. He was lost in his own mind, and almost jumped when he heard the doorbell ring. Bones looked up immediately, tail thumping against the floor. Sam gave him a quick scratch behind the ears and got up, making his way over to the door. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Gabriel standing there, looking at the floor. Sam immediately noticed something was wrong - Gabriel's hair was messed up and hanging across his face, and his eyes were red and puffy. He smelled strongly of alcohol and was swaying slightly on his feet.

"Oh Gabe," Sam said quietly, reaching forward to wrap his arms around the smaller man. Gabriel melted into his embrace, starting to cry softly. Sam pulled him into the apartment, closing the door quietly behind him as he led Gabriel to the couch, sitting down with his back against the armrest and pulling the other man with him. Gabriel buried his face in Sam's neck, and Sam felt the hot tears splash onto his skin.

"What happened?" Sam asked softly, running his fingers slowly through Gabriel's hair. Gabriel just shook his head, his fingers curling into Sam's singlet. Sam sighed, pressing a small kiss to Gabriel's head and tightening his grip on the small man. Bones let out a soft whine from his place on the floor, resting his head on his paws dejectedly. He hated when Gabriel was sad. Sam did too.

After about half an hour, Gabriel lifted his head. Sam had slid down the couch in a more comfortable position and was almost lying down with the armrest as a pillow, with Gabriel lying on his chest and their legs tangled together. Gabriel rested his cheek on Sam's collar, idly tracing shapes into his chest.

"Sammy, do you love me?" Gabriel asked, his voice slurred. Sam looked at him, tucking a stray piece of hair behind the other man's ear.

"Of course I do," Sam said gently, a slight knot twisting in his stomach. 

"No, do you _love_ love me?" Gabriel said, looking up at him. His beautiful honey-coloured eyes were unfocused, looking as if they could barely make out Sam's face. Sam sighed, resting a hand on Gabriel's back.

"You're drunk, Gabe. We can have this conversation in the morning," he muttered, moving to sit up. 

"No, we can't," Gabriel said, pushing Sam back down and sitting up, straddling him. " _Please,_ Sam. I need to know." 

He looked so desperate, his eyes filling with tears again. Sam looked up at him sadly, reaching up to wipe a stray tear that was making its way down Gabriel's face. 

"Yeah, Gabe. Yeah, I do," he said softly. Gabriel's face brightened, a smile coming onto his face.

"Good. Good," he mumbled, lying back down on Sam's chest and snuggling close. "I love you too. Yes, I do." 

Gabriel pressed a small kiss to Sam's collarbone before his breathing evened out, and Sam kissed Gabriel's head as he felt the soft hair tickle his nose. Gabriel was just drunk. He wouldn't remember anything in the morning. Sam should just forget that it ever happened. He lay awake for hours before finally, at around five am, drifting into a restless sleep.

When Sam woke up, the weight of Gabriel on his chest was gone. He groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes and wincing at the pain in his back. He shouldn't have slept on the couch. Smelling something from the kitchen Sam stood up, stretching and yawning as he made his way in. Gabriel was standing at the stove flipping pancakes in one of the pairs of sweatpants he leaves lying around Sam's house and one of Sam's hoodies, humming softly. The sight was so domestic and _normal_ that Sam's throat tightened. 

"Feeling better?" Sam asked casually, leaning against the bench. Gabriel turned around with a small smile on his face, his hair sticking up as if he'd been electrocuted.

"I guess. I don't remember much from last night," he confessed. "I'm surprised my hangover isn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

Sam hummed, pushing down the rejection and sadness that came with the fact that Gabriel didn't remember. "Well, you're well enough to make pancakes, so I guess you're fine."

Gabriel huffed out a laugh, flipping a pancake onto the plate next to him. "It seems so."

There was silence for a few minutes, almost awkward but not completely. Sam watched Gabriel as he worked, the hoodie absolutely dwarfing him. Sam was far too deep in this. After about five minutes Gabriel turned off the stove and turned towards Sam, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Sam, I have something to tell you," he said, biting his lip. Sam raised an eyebrow and pushed himself off the bench, walking towards Gabriel and standing in front of him.

"What is it?" Sam asked with concern, looking down at the other man. Gabriel's eyes were wide, his expression worried and angry.

"I remember what you said last night," Gabriel blurted out. "I remember what I asked you, I remember your answer, I remember my answer to your answer."

Sam just stood still. He was still trying to process what Gabriel had said without having a total mental break. Gabriel remembered. He knew how Sam felt. He was drunk at the time so he was probably just spouting nonsense. He wouldn't want to date Sam, not after what happened with Kali. Damnit, he was so _stupid._ Sam took a deep breath, taking control of his nerves and looking back at Gabriel.

"I meant it," he said truthfully. "I meant it when I told you I love you. I know that you probably don't want to date after what happened with Kali, but you asked and I didn't think you'd remember it."

"Damnit, Sam!" Gabriel said in exasperation, throwing his hands in the air. "You can't just say something like that and just _expect_ me to forget it, even _if_ I was drunk!"

"I'm sorry," Sam said softly, closing his eyes. "I never should have said anything."

"That's not why I'm mad at you, you stupid man!" Gabriel cried, grabbing Sam's shoulders and causing him to open his eyes again. Gabriel's face was bright red, either from anger or embarrassment, Sam didn't know. "I'm angry because you decided to tell me when I was drunk! You didn't think I would remember, and _that_ was why you told me!"

"Wait, I'm confused," Sam said slowly. "You... wanted me to tell you that when you were sober?"

"Yes!" Gabriel shouted, throwing his hands up again. "Because then I could kiss the everloving _shit_ out of you and you wouldn't push me away saying noble shit like _'you're drunk.'_ Well, fuck you, Sam Winchester!"

"Are you angry or happy? Because you're giving me several mixed emotions here and I have no idea what the message is," Sam said slowly. Gabriel let out a hysteric laugh, running his hands through his hair.

"Why do you _think_ I trusted you so much, even though we'd only really met once?" he demanded. "I was prepared to leave my home for you, and you still didn't understand!"

"Understand what?" Sam asked in bewilderment. Gabriel let out a groan of frustration, moving his hair out of his face.

"That I love you too!" he yelled. "I told you last night, and I wasn't lying! Ever heard the saying, _'A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts'_? Well, that's exactly what they were. The drunken words that I'd been thinking for _months._ I am in love with you, Sam Winchester! It took you so goddamned long to-"

The rest of Gabriel's rant was cut off when Sam surged forward, pulling Gabriel towards him and crashing their lips together. The smaller man immediately melted into him, his arms going around Sam's neck. The kiss was everything Sam had imagined and more - hot and messy, all the crazy emotions that had been pent up for months and months finally getting set free. It was desperate and not at all graceful, their tongues not dancing but more like fighting each other as they both sunk to the floor. It only ended when Bones let out a loud bark and decided to try and join in, which just led to laughter and shouts of disgust from Gabriel and Sam. Sam looked over at Gabriel, his hair sticking up every which way, his cheeks pink and his lips swollen and red as he laughed at Bones's antics. He looked over at Sam with pure joy in his eyes, and Sam had never seen anything more beautiful.

"I love you," Sam found himself saying. It had just slipped out, but Gabriel beamed, throwing his arms around Sam and kissing him again.

"I love you too, my moose," Gabriel said, kissing Sam between syllables. Sam let out a small laugh before his lips were captured again in a kiss as they both tumbled back onto the kitchen floor, laughing and keeping their lips touching almost the entire time.

 

 

Sam didn't have many people in his life. It was that simple.

His mother was in the Marines and dropped in whenever she was off duty to see her sons. Dean was about five minutes away, living with Sam's best friend Cas, and they popped in most weekends to catch up and eat junk while watching shitty movies. Sam had friends at work like Kevin, who had been promoted from receptionist to secretary, and the new receptionist, a bubbly woman called Charlie. There were his patients - Samandriel, a temperamental teenager, Jack, a sweet five-year-old with bipolar, and Nick, a poor boy with schizophrenia who thought that Lucifer, the actual devil, was possessing him. Sam's housemates were a large dog - a Golden Retriever called Bones who ate his socks and drank from the toilet, and an overexcited Jack Russel pup called Max. And then there was Sam's boyfriend - the most amazing man in the world who had been through far too much for someone so young; Gabriel.

That was pretty much what Sam's life entailed, and he loved it.

**Author's Note:**

> Woah this took far too long. Welp, enjoy.


End file.
